TikTok Pros and Cons
What is TikTok?
These days TikTok has left its mark globally . Launched in 2016 This is a Chinese app of parent company Byte Dance .This app is available in more than 160 countries and it has over 170 Crore audience . It is a very popular social media platform . It was very popular with more than 25 Crore Indians too till 29th June 2020 when TikTok was banned in India after the Galwan incident. However, use of TikRok by Indians via VPN ( virtual private networks ) can’t be ruled out but the exact number of users can’t be made available easily.
Its users are allowed to create , download and share short videos like dance, music , fashion ,comedies and lots of personalized content . TikTok is widely used by teens and adults .
TikTok has brought a storm in the world of social media . It’s too simple to use . Any teen can make his / her video on a smart phone and upload it and share it in a few seconds . Like any coin it has two faces also . Its two face are its pros and cons
PROS of TikTok
Education and Learning new skills - People interested in learning new games / ideas like how to use a game new for them , how to draw or paint something . Videos with contents of knowledge , education and various skills are available easily. Its messaging system can allow asking questions on teachings and also it allows them to interact. Even world news contents , cooking skills and recipes can be seen on TikTok.
Entertaining Contents - You can think about anything in your mind and find a video on it . You can like or dislike and share funny videos with friends and family members . You can leave a like or dislike post and a positive or negative comment on any video that would encourage or discourage its creator .
Marketing and publicity - With the presence of a huge global audience it’s a good platform for enhanced awareness towards New Brands in the market . There is a TikTok store where one can also buy. This would encourage launching and uploading of your own ideas / videos simply by using your phone and soon the world can see it just by a click .Many filmmakers have gained a lot by advertising on it.
CONS of TikTok -
It has many negative areas also like -
1 . Privacy leak and data breach - One of the major concerns with TikTok is related to privacy and data theft of users . The app has a huge database about users personal information including location , device info and surfing history . Lack of transparency in the system can cause misuse of these data .
2 . Overuse and Addiction - Its overuse has been seen among teens and youths. This affects users' daily life and other responsibilities . Teens and youths get its dependency and easily become addicted to it .
3. Affects Physical and Mental health - Most of its users are teens and youths . It is seen that overuse of this app has caused depression and anxiety in users .The passive nature of use of this app may encourage to do potentially dangerous stunts which can further adversely affect physical and mental health of users .TikTok has also caused changes in lifestyle and sleep problems in some teens and youths besides loss in academic grades . Over engagement on this app can adversely affect eating habits of teens and adolescents resulting in poor health .
4 . Exposure to Harmful or dangerous contents- Many teen users are exposed to contents which are not only suited to them but they are harmful also .
5 . Violation of Copyrights or property rights - Some artists and musicians might have suffered Infringement of Copyrights or property rights of their contents .
6 . Distraction - Frequent and overuse of this app may cause distraction in teens and youths from the main goal of life. It can lead to loss in grades of students .Poor grades in school or colleges may further cause low confidence and lesser self esteem Also Cyberbullying on this platform can’t be ruled out .
It has been reported that some schools in western countries have removed mirrors in bathrooms as many students were missing classes and were shooting videos sometimes inappropriate also .
7 . Exploitation of Teens and youths - The popularity of this app among teens and young people can lead to exploitation of their privacy and exposure to inappropriate videos .
8 . Cultural shift - Dominance of Tik Tok in daily life may cause a shift in traditional practices and prevailing culture of our society .
Bottomline - Understanding pros and cons of TikTok and similar apps is important for users , parents and guardians, educators and policy makers so that ill effects of such apps may be avoided or minimized at least . Educators should promote digital wellness and responsibilities among users .Use of this app should be monitored and restricted by screen time tracker and reminder facilities .
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